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A Government body set up to empower Muslim women has been dismissed by one of its founders as a "tick box exercise" after she quit in protest at the slow progress it was making.

Shaista Gohir, a respected Muslim activist from Birmingham, was one of 19 prominent women who sat on the National Muslim Women's Advisory Group (NMWAG). But she left the group this week, accusing the body of being a "political fad" that had failed to help Muslim women in the way ministers promised.

During its launch in January 2008, NMWAG was trumpeted by Gordon Brown as key component of the Government's anti-extremism strategy, known as Prevent, and that it would help build a "stronger, better society".

But in a resignation letter sent yesterday, Ms Gohir detailed why she felt compelled to quit, accusing the body of failing to empower Muslim women and becoming sidetracked by "managing projects".

She also accused the group of deliberately increasing its output in the run-up the elections due to fears that "a new government may disband NMWAG due to its lack of impact".